Sunday, January 12
Maria watches as the snowflakes drift down from the sky. They started slow, but were coming down heavier. They have already covered the steps, and now the parking lot was starting to look like an ice rink.

“Vincent, I don’t think you’ll be going to work tomorrow.” Maria turns around to look towards Vincent, who was covered up on his favorite recliner.

Vincent looks towards Maria. He was bundled up in the recliner. He was feeling sick to his stomach. Someone at work gave him a nasty cold.

“I don’t think I could have made it, anyway. I’m feeling like crap.” Vincent blows his nose.

“Well, keep it to yourself. I hate getting sick, and I know the two of us are cranky when we’re sick.” Maria has lived with Vincent long enough to experience all his moods.

“I’m trying.” Vincent sneezes after saying those words.

“If it keeps snowing, I won’t be able to catch the bus tomorrow.” Maria walks away from the living room window and into the kitchen.

She was wearing a Care Bear onesie she found in her size at Dollar General Store. It said Grumpy Bear on it. She wanted to find one on which her favorite cartoon character, Pepe Le Pew, was.

“I could always either order us some food or make spicy egg drop soup for us.” Maria learned how to make egg drop soup from Vincent a few months ago.

“Just don’t burn it.” Vincent knew they had everything they needed to make spicy egg drop soup.

“Okay.” Maria starts grabbing everything she needs to make spicy egg drop soup.

She uses Vincent’s recipe and follows it to the letter. She loved Chinese and Thai food. When the soup is ready, “Do you want noodles with yours, Vincent?”

“Of course, I do, and some hot tea please.” Vincent loved hot tea with his food.

“Do you want me to add honey to it?” Maria knew Vincent drank his tea two ways. Plain or with honey.

“Yes, but use the Sourwood honey, please.” Vincent liked the buttery taste of the honey.

“Okay.” Maria searches for the Sourwood honey.

She adds a little bit to the tea and stirs. She places everything on the serving tray and carries it carefully into the living room. Maria places the tray on the tv tray next to the recliner.

“Be careful with the soup. It’s still hot.” Maria walks back into the kitchen to fix herself some soup.

She carries her tray back into the living room and sets it on the coffee table. She moves the table close to the sofa, so she can eat.

“Are you going to call Tom and tell him you’re not coming in tomorrow?” Vincent sips his soup.

“Yeah, I better, since Mr. Cain isn’t going to be in charge anymore.” Maria couldn’t believe that in the past few months, she had known two people who had heart attacks.

The first person had been the guy who almost killed her at the bus stop. She found out from the police that the driver of the truck that had rammed the bus stop had a heart attack and died. He had just been discharged from Norfolk General Hospital and was on his way home when the attack happened. He was still wearing the medical band from the hospital.

Then, Mr. Cain had one and lost the use of his left side. Since Tom has been working for Mr. Cain for the past twenty years, he was next inline to be the overall manager. Even though he and Barbara shared the manager position, he would have the final say on what went on with the store.

She wouldn’t mind buying Mr. Cain out, but she doesn’t have the money to buy the store, and no bank would give her a loan to buy the store. Maria picks up her cellphone and dials Tom’s number. After a few seconds, Tom’s sleepy voice answers.

“Hello?”

“Tom, this is Maria. Have you seen the snow outside?”

“Yes, and let me guess, you’re not coming in tomorrow?” Tom knew Maria took the bus to get to work.

“How did you guess?”

“Because you hate the cold, and the city buses won’t be running tomorrow.” Tom knew how much Maria hated the cold.

“Are you going to open tomorrow?” Maria knew that when the weather was this bad, Mr. Cain would open late.

“I’m thinking about opening two hours later, tomorrow. With the way the weather is going to be and the streets will be. I don’t think we are going to have much business.”

“Well, you'd better let Barbara know.” Maria knew Barbara would show up, since she owned a four-wheeled drive vehicle.

“I’ll send out a text to everyone, letting them know. But thanks for calling to let me know. Have a safe night.”

“Thanks, Tom.”

Maria puts her cellphone back on the coffee table. She picks up her soup and starts eating it. She goes back for a second helping and refills Vincent’s bowl as well. She also refills Vincent’s teacup as well. The two of them select a movie and watch it.

When Vincent was done eating, Maria took his and her dishes into the kitchen and rinsed them. She puts them into the dishwasher and cleans
the kitchen. She notices Vincent has gotten out of his recliner and gone to the bathroom. Maria grabs another box of tissues and puts it on the end table next to his recliner.

“Hurry up, or you’re going to miss the start of the movie.” Maria had made herself comfortable under the throw blanket.

“I’m coming.” Vincent sneezes as he walks back to his recliner.

Vincent hated being sick and wanted whoever made him sick to suffer. There was no way he could return to work being sick like he was. He wraps his blanket back around him and reclines backwards.

“Alright, start the movie.”

Maria selects the movie from their Netflix account and snuggles down under her throw blanket. She looked like a little kid, peeking out from the throw blanket. She fluffs her pillow and watches the movie they selected.